


Folly In All Forms

by Interrobang



Category: Hades (Video Game 2018)
Genre: Bets & Wagers, Humiliation, M/M, Oral Sex, Public Sex, Trans Zagreus (Hades Video Game), hints of future Theseus/Asterius
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-10
Updated: 2021-02-10
Packaged: 2021-03-17 02:20:44
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,927
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29342721
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Interrobang/pseuds/Interrobang
Summary: Theseus and Zagreus place a bet that whoever loses their most recent bout of combat will have to serve the other to satisfaction. Theseus, unfortunately, is not victorious.
Relationships: Theseus/Zagreus (Hades Video Game)
Comments: 7
Kudos: 67





	Folly In All Forms

**Author's Note:**

> What's up friends here is YET ANOTHER FIC based on a shitpost from yours truly, though I think the gist of it got away from me in the end. Hope y'all enjoy this one as much as I did. A commissioner told me to just "work on whatever I'm most fired up about right now" and so this is entirely self-indulgent. :) 
> 
> Let me know what you think! Comments get me excited to write more!

Zagreus was just starting to get the hang of this whole “fight to the death” thing. He’d managed to beat Theseus and Asterius in the arena a number of times, each with an ever widening margin of victory. It wasn’t always a sure win— and that would probably take some of the fun out of it, anyway— but Zagreus had gotten familiar enough with their fighting styles and most of the tricks they had up their sleeves to give the shades in the stands a good fight, at least.

Even when he lost, waking up with the sting of defeat and a ghost of pain in his chest, it was still satisfying to have an opponent he could put every ounce of skill into beating. He may not have _liked_ Theseus overmuch, but he could at least appreciate the man’s battle prowess.

Theseus was a _showy_ bastard, was the thing. If it had just been the two of them, Zagreus might have enjoyed their fights; but the fact that they fought in a very public arena meant that Theseus’s need to be the center of attention grew to unbearable heights.

Take this fight, for instance. Asterius had been dispatched earlier, leaving Zagreus alone with Theseus and his spear. Neither was tired yet, but the match had been going on long enough that Zagreus’s mind was starting to wander.

“Not that I’m not happy to be here doing this little song and dance again,” Zagreus called as he traded blows with his opponent. “But I’m not happy to be doing this little song and dance again!”

“Ha!” Theseus bellowed back. “Tired, fiend? Then let me put you to rest— your final rest!”

Zagreus rolled his eyes as he leapt backwards, out of range of Theseus’s spear before launching back at him. The clawed gauntlets he wore meant he needed to be close, but it was difficult even now to get within range without getting stabbed.

“Are you sure you don’t want to find another way to settle this?” Zagreus offered as he swiped left and right at Theseus, clawing him on one shoulder but getting batted away before his second strike could make contact. “Darts? Card games?”

“A lesser battle for those too cowardly to put their bodies on the line for true glory,” Theseus spat. “If you tire of our battles, all you need do is not attempt to fight them anymore. Do your duties and do not stray, and we need never meet again.”

“If only,” Zagreus muttered. He pounced on Theseus— and oohh, he _did_ like how that felt with these greaves on— and pinned him to the floor of the arena.

“What’s say we make a wager, King,” Zagreus said, a fabulous idea occurring to him. “Just to make things interesting.” He grunted, twisting around to keep Theseus in his hold. “Surely you would enjoy higher stakes?”

“Higher stakes than death?” Theseus asked, seeming intrigued.

“What is death here but an impermanent roadblock?” Zagreus reminded him. “Let’s make this interesting. You’re a king; I’m a prince—”

“So you claim,” Theseus interjected.

“Yes, as I say,” Zagreus emphasized. “So how about this: today’s loser serves the other until the winner is satisfied. What do you say?”

“Oh?” Theseus’s eye gleamed with something Zagreus couldn’t quite read. A kind of lustful anger, if he had to put a name to it. “You wish to serve me so badly that you would concoct a complicated ruse, eh? Very well.” And with that he thrust his hips up and rolled them in a spectacular display of wrestling prowess, throwing Zagreus into the dirt. His legs wrapped around Zagreus so he could pin him down. “Be prepared to serve me well, foul daemon!”

“Maybe not,” Zagreus taunted back, swiping with his claws. Theseus jumped back; Zagreus leapt to his feet and pursued him across the arena floor.

The fight went on longer and longer, the crowd roaring around them. Ares’s influence washed over him as he continued to draw blood with each strike, the two of them getting dirtier, bloodier, more exhausted as the fight dragged on.

He swiped; Theseus ducked. Theseus thrust his spear towards him; Zagreus jumped out of the way, rolling to get in close to knock Theseus to the ground. Zagreus’s blood boiled with the need to make Theseus kneel. It was not his usual need to just see the man shut up for once— no, he wanted to see Theseus _humiliated_ , truly defeated.

Feeling victory coming, Zagreus threw his arm in the air. “Lord Ares, hear my cry! Lend me your assistance!”

A wave of vibrant red energy, shocking in its intensity, flew through Zagreus’s body. It flushed out, and when it was done, Theseus was naught but a ghost, vanquished into a puff.

He’d be back soon, Zagreus knew. There was a pool of Styx not too far from here, just for the warriors that battled in the arena. But it wouldn't do to leave without hammering out the details of their agreement. But how to get there?

He looked around the stadium. Upon closer inspection there was a curtained area around a corner, cleverly hidden by the arena’s construction to not be immediately visible. He headed there, and after he pushed through— startling a few waiting shades— he found a waiting room. A fountain, a table stacked high with snacks and nectar...

Zagreus took his sweet time bathing in the fountain and restoring himself as best he could as he waited for his would-be foes to return to their quarters. He passed the time munching on the unfamiliar fruits and delicacies on the table, and occasionally greeting the shades that popped through looking for an autograph. And indeed, it wasn’t long, perhaps only half an hour or so, before he heard Theseus and Asterius coming towards the room.

“...and then the knave had the _nerve_ to suggest we play cards! Like common street rats after the same pithy bag of coin!” Theseus’s voice echoed down the hall, his complaints loud and scandalized.

“And what will you do now, King?” came Asterius’s low tones. “Seeing as you did not win this bout?” Zagreus quickly composed himself, brushing off crumbs and bits of gryo meat from his lap.

“I will—” Theseus did not get to finish his sentence, because the next thing he said was a squawked “Daemon!” He pointed his finger accusingly at Zagreus. “Stealing into places you do not belong, no doubt with ill intent!”

“Not ill intent,” Zagreus said as casually as he could. He made a show of inspecting his nails, crossing one leg over the other. Haughtiness did not come naturally to him, but it was always fun to needle Theseus just a little bit. “I just wanted to talk to you. I can always just slaughter you next time— maybe make the humiliation more brutal. Otherwise I had something more interesting in mind. No hard feelings, right?”

“Hard feelings, he asks,” Theseus muttered. “Aterius, you would willingly keep this insincere fool’s company?”

Aterius huffed a quiet laugh, looking amused. “He’s not so bad as you make it sound most of the time,” the minotaur said with a shrug.

“I’m not insincere, besides,” Zagreus insisted. “Surely even you get bored with the same bloodshed over and over again. You’re a _king._ Aren’t your type supposed to be about strategy and adaptability?” Zagreus thought quickly. “You seemed a better negotiator than this.”

“I— you—” Theseus blustered, puffing out his chest. “Of course I am a brilliant strategist, as all know. You think you can humiliate _me?_ Do your worst, fiend.”

“Oh, I don’t think it’ll be terrible. I just want to be entertained,” Zagreus said, cutting him off with a grin. “It’s rough out here, all blood and darkness and unwinnable savagery. I want a show— even you like a good performance, don’t you?— and when it’s over I’ll just leave, no trip down the Styx for you or Asterius required.”

“Hmm...!” Theseus looked deep in thought, his eyes skating back and forth between Zagreus in his seat and Asterius standing steadily behind him.. “Fine,” he said at last. “For my dear friend’s sake. We shall complete this here and now, fiend.”

“Oh, no, no…” Zagreus shook his head, his grin turning shit-eating. “Take some time. I want this to be _good._ Come up with a really good routine. Use props if you must.” His grin was absolutely predatory at this point. He hopped up out of his chair, ready to bustle off to the rest of his quest. “I look forward to our next meeting.”

And he left Theseus, seething, to muster his best efforts.

On his next run, Zagreus was actually quite excited to come through the entrance to the arena. He was tired, but this promised to be very restful. Maybe he could get a snack while Theseus entertained him. It wasn’t often he got to take a real break in-between the battles.

The crowd cheered and jeered as Zagreus entered the arena. The lights were different today, dimmer, angled to keep center-stage illuminated while the rest of it fell to shadow. Zagreus grinned. Perhaps this was a good sign of things to come. Theseus did have a flair for the dramatic.

Theseus reluctantly greeted him in the center of the arena, with a nod and seething-but-subdued, “Daemon.” He gestured stiffly to a comfortable-looking throne along one edge of the arena, facing the whole of it.

Zagreus trotted over and settled into it with a smug wiggle, crossing his legs and looking expectantly at Theseus.

The roar of the shades in the stands took on a confused tone. They’d come expecting a battle, as Zagreus’s arrival usually entailed. But it was not what they were going to get today.

“Ahem!” Theseus cleared his throat, looking deeply uncomfortable but clearly attempting to dazzle the crowd anyway. “Good shades! Today I will entertain you not with violence, but with wit.”

Ah. Zagreus winced. This was sure to be ...interesting. But a thought occurred to him— this was the perfect time to bring the gift he’d so carefully crafted just for today.

“Wait!” Zagreus interrupted before Theseus could really get going. “If you’re to be my jester today, you need a proper costume.” He reached into his belt pouch and pulled out a truly ugly hat. It was a mix of Elysium’s colors in a patchwork of neon green, blue, and pink, the stitching sloppy but the bells on the end of the hat’s draping edges jingling merrily.

Theseus’s eyes narrowed as he snatched the hat from Zagreus’s outstretched hand. He looked like he desperately wanted to throw the thing on the dirt and stomp on it, but he instead settled it on his head with hands Zagreus could have sworn shook slightly. Thus satisfied with Theseus’s costume, Zagreus settled into the throne. He gestured: _go on._

“Well then!” Theseus cleared his throat, giving a winning smile to the crowd, who didn’t seem to know how to react to the entire strange exchange. “I have first a selection of humorous exchanges. Daemon—”

“‘My Prince,’ I think, is how I’d like to be addressed today, actually,” Zagreus said, his grin growing ever-wider. “Really, I must insist.”

“My _Prince,”_ Theseus hissed, making the title sound like a curse. “I will start, and you simply need prompt me. Now then:

“Why was Zeus late to his romantic rendezvous?” He asked, shooting a very terse but bright grin at the crowd.

“Why?” Zagreus asked lazily, leaning his chin on one fist.

“Because he couldn’t choose between the swan costume or the bull costume.”

The crowd murmured. Was this allowed? Zagreus laughed into his hand as the lights winked once, a trembling coming through the ceiling. Theseus probably hadn’t just won himself any favors with Zeus, though maybe the other Olympians would appreciate the jab. Maybe the jokes would get better?

“No? No reaction?” Theseus cleared his throat. “Yes, well! Give it a moment to sink in. I’ve got more where that came from.” He spluttered, strutting about the stage encouraging the confused crowd to keep their eyes on him. “You know, speaking of my other distant cousins, I think Lord Ares’s solutions to most of life’s problems may well be the same as my father’s.”

“And what is that?” Zagreus asked, unsure if he wanted to hear the answer.

“Try dent everything,” Theseus finished. A pause. “Get it? Try...to dent...trident…”

Zagreus winced. The crowd’s dissenting murmurs got louder. One light winked red for a split second, illuminating Theseus in blood-bright crimson before returning to its regular light. A few shades began moving towards the exits.

“Ah…” Theseus spread his hands placatingly at the crowd. “Another, perhaps more in the _pun_ end of this _pun-_ ishment. What, pray tell, do you call a goddess with bad aim?”

Zagreus cringed, already seeing where this one was going.

“Arte- _miss!”_ Theseus proclaimed, shooting a winning smile at the crowd and getting only muttering in return.

A rumbling crackle went through the stadium. Zagreus felt the hair across his body stand at attention; he’d have to fix this fast.

“Humor might not be your strong suit,” Zagreus cut in hurriedly, casting worried glances at the ceiling. The Olympians might not have been able to make _direct_ influence down here most of the time, but they’d probably still know when they were being laughed at. “But I’ll give you another chance to entertain me before I have to punish you for not living up to your end of the deal. Got any other tricks, Great Champion?”

“I...I could—” Theseus seemed to flounder a bit. “Yes, I could display my marvelous battle prowess! My agility! The astounding range of my flexibility!”

“I’ve already seen all that when we _actually_ fight,” Zagreus pointed out. “Unless you’re going to cartwheel through flaming hoops or something equally impressive, I’d rather skip it. Show me something I haven’t been disappointed by before.”

Theseus’s face changed from his usual bronzed glow to the beet red of indignation. “You dare to demean me, fiend?” Theseus burst out. The stupid hat jingled, its pink-blue-green fabric shifting jauntily in the arena lights. “This farce was not my intended reward for the heroic life I lived! You should feel _honored_ that I would stoop so low— that I would _deign_ to entertain you in this way.”

Theseus fisted the jester’s cap and looked about ready to throw it to the ground when Zagreus leaned back in his seat. Despite Theseus’s immense pride and the Bouldy-sized chip on his shoulder, Zagreus was willing to bet Theseus would leap at any chance to escape this mockery of a talent show. An idea was brewing in his mind.

“But Theseus,” Zagreus said, putting all his effort into looking sincere. He sighed forlornly. “I thought you were better than this. You really did strike me as the honorable type; my father will be so disappointed to hear the contrary.”

The crowd drew down to a hush, the cautious murmurs beginning again. Zagreus could read the mood: was this to turn into a fight after all?

“What?” Theseus said, turning his head so fast that the hat jingled once more. “You would tell lord Hades of this arrangement?”

“Well, not perhaps the exact details,” Zagreus allowed. Though the thought of telling his father that one of his exalted shades had sunk so low as to do middling stand-up comedy struck a particularly humorous nerve, it was not a conversation he _really_ wanted to have.

“You asked for entertainment,” Theseus said, narrowing his eyes. He gestured to the stands. “Good shades! Are you not entertained?”

The response was lukewarm at best, a few scattered cheers falling from the stands. The rest were damningly silent.

“Entertain is a strong word for what you’ve been doing. Actually…” Zagreus grinned, letting his smile turn a bit predatory. The urge to press a little harder on Theseus’s buttons was _heavy._ Zagreus didn’t often have a mean streak— he left that to Meg and her marvelous whip— but he could, on occasion, have an inspired thought. “I can think of something you could do that really _would_ be entertaining— at least for me, and maybe even for our friends in the stands.”

“What, f- my _prince?”_ Theseus said, straightening his spine to display his full height. The arms of the hat shifted as he did so, tinkling merrily. A vein popped on Theseus’s head. He looked ready to sprint away, or perhaps spontaneously burst into angry confetti. “Would you have me commit ritual suicide for your entertainment? It might actually be more enjoyable than this travesty. I would not be surprised after what you have put me through today, though prior to this you seemed above that sort of debasement.”

 _“Debasement...”_ Zagreus chuckled. “Yeah, that is the word of the day, isn’t it?” He slouched down in his seat, letting his legs splay casually. He rested his chin on one fist, staring at Theseus with a challenging air. “We did say the loser would serve until satisfaction after all, didn’t we? Well, _satisfy_ me, King.”

“I, er.” Theseus looked lost for words as the phrasing seemed to connect in his mind. His face blushed as red as a pomegranate, his eyes wide like he did not know where to look. The crowds murmured above them. No doubt Theseus was now regretting putting Zagreus’s seat right in the center of the arena. “You want me to...use my body to pleasure you?”

Zagreus stared at Theseus with a shit-eating grin on his face. “Yeah, if that’s what you want to call it. What, are you a coward? Or you just don’t know how to?”

“Of course I know how to,” Theseus scoffed. “I am a champion even in the bathhouse, renowned for my prowess with phalluses of all lengths and girths.” A random shade in the crowd cheered extra loudly for their King. Theseus turned and waved proudly, as if to say, _See?_

“So show me,” Zagreus goaded. “Clearly your body is in excellent form, but do you actually know how to use it for anything other than brute violence? Do you have no artistry?”

“I— yes,” Theseus spat contrarily. “Of course I do. I am _most—_ Asterius, tell him how sexually beguiling I can be.”

Zagreus cast a glance over to the edge of the arena where Asterius was waiting patiently. He nodded to Zagreus, shrugging as if to say, “Eh, what are you going to do?”

“See?” Theseus blustered.

“I don’t know,” Zagreus said, pretending to yawn. “You seem pretty tame to me.”

“I will show what I can do, then!” Theseus declared. He turned to the crowd. “Behold!” He shouted to the crowd, throwing his arms out wide. “My marvelous physicality, the epitome of Attican beauty!”

Zagreus startled as, as if on cue, a small cluster of shades off to the side of the arena began to play a lively tune. The horns blared and drum pounded away as Theseus started to disrobe with great demonstrative sweeps of his limbs.

The crowd livened up as Theseus began to strip with what Zagreus assumed was supposed to be confident sexuality. Instead it looked rather like Theseus had recently been sprayed by a skunk (one of the surface creatures Zag _really_ hadn’t made friends with) and was trying to rid himself of his fouled clothes as fast as possible. Zagreus fought back a grin. Now _this_ was entertainment.

Inexplicably— perhaps because he feared Zagreus’s hollow threats about reporting back to his father— Theseus kept the stupid jester’s cap on. In Zagreus’s humble opinion, however, it made the whole ensemble, flopping half-hard cock and all. Wow, Theseus really _did_ enjoy the attention. When spared a glance, Asterius seemed to have his face in one large palm, looking as if he was either hiding a deep laugh or preserving his King’s (nonexistent) dignity.

Theseus walked about the stadium encouraging the crowd with great sweeps of his arms, flexing his oiled muscles gaudily. He was clad now in nothing except the golden bands decorating his arms, the hat, and his half-squashed laurels. It was...actually somewhat charming, if Zagreus had to think about it.

“Well, blackguard?” Theseus said challengingly, turning swiftly to pose before Zagreus. The music died down to a low strumming of a lyre, the occasional beat of a drum. “You demand pleasure, yet you hide your body. Are you so ashamed of your own no-doubt less impressive form?”

“I think that’s the first actually funny joke you’ve told all night.” Zagreus stood, looking up at the stands. The shades were riled up now, obviously excited to see where this particular performance of their Champion’s was going. “But I’m afraid I’ll have to disappoint you again.”

Zagreus laughed and unselfconsciously started to remove his clothes, to the surprised muttering of the crowd. He was proud of his body. It was one he’d chosen for himself, modifying it how he saw fit, and what’s more was he was comfortable in the shape he’d built himself into. His cock and his cunt were his alone, to do with as and how he pleased. He had an excellent arrangement with Meg and Than that left him more than satisfied, but that didn’t mean he couldn’t push the boundaries with others...and Theseus may have been annoying, but there was something just so _tempting_ about the idea of making him submit.

Zagreus talked as he continued to strip. “You know, I find your pride attractive, in a strange way,” he admitted casually, unbuckling his belt. “I think if there wasn’t a crowd around and you weren’t dead-set on stopping me from seeing my mother I’d even enjoy trading blows with you just to keep sharp.” Off came the armor, carefully set aside. The pauldrons, the greaves, all neatly piled to retrieve later.

Theseus’s stupid hat jingled as he man flinched back from Zagreus’s nudity.

“You really do have a knack for drawing attention, you know?” Zagreus mused, his smile growing wider at Theseus’s apprehensive expression. Off came the chiton, easily unwrapped and set near his armor. Then the leggings, then his smallclothes, and finally he was bare for all to see. The crowd’s roar started up again, the sound of it like gentle surf against the shore as the shades seemed to realize the mood of the entertainment was shifting.

“But there’s one thing that really sets you apart. The thing that drives me absolutely crazy.”

“And what is that?” Theseus asked, narrowing his eyes.

“I might _actually_ like you if you shut up for once. And that in itself is truly, horribly annoying.” Zagreus sat back on the throne and its cushioned seat feeling quite pleased with himself. He spread his legs, showing off and motioning towards his groin with a gesture of his hands.

“Well? We did say until satisfaction.”

“I—” Theseus’s blush somehow grew even darker. “That is not what I was expecting.”

Zagreus shrugged. “It’s what I’ve got. Get to work, noble Jester.”

It was then that Theseus seemed to realize he was still wearing the stupid, horrible hat. He jingled over to Zagreus’s seat, kneeling down with a jolly tinkle of the bells that was only slightly offset by the shades’ music.

“What exactly do you want me to do?” Theseus asked.

“Isn’t it obvious? This can’t possibly be the first time you’ve seen one of these,” Zagreus said, frowning. “You had several wives, did you not?”

Theseus frowned. “They did not require this of me.”

Zagreus laughed, relaxing further in his seat. “You’re telling me not a single one of your wives or female lovers ever asked you to reciprocate oral sex? You _never_ went downtown for a bite to eat? Didn’t enjoy chewing the carpet on the odd evening in?”

“It’s— I— you—” Theseus spluttered. He looked over his shoulder at the shades in the stands around them, who now muttered quite loudly amongst each other. The mood was decidedly strange, though as a whole the audience seemed excited to see where this encounter went. They seemed prepared for their King to have stripped so ostentatiously— perhaps this was not the first time it had happened?-- but none of them seemed to know what to do about Zagreus’s matching nudity. Regardless, one waved a little banner cheering him on.

“Well, time to learn. Hup to, King.” Zagreus planted both feet on the wide, elaborately carved arms of the throne and leaned back, gesturing at his crotch.

It was extremely satisfying to see Theseus’s face so hot with indignation that he practically steamed. Zagreus felt utterly invincible like this. He knew he wasn’t the show here, but merely one player; it was Theseus, and his reactions, that really drew the crowd.

Theseus growled, but the glint in his eye revealed the cogs turning in his brain. Zagreus could almost _see_ the moment his brain turned its focus from rudely-broken pride to its usual intense need to be the best at all things.

“I will have you trembling in moments!” Theseus declared. “ _Then_ we shall see who is dominated in _this_ arena.” He lifted his hands up and braced himself on Zagreus’s knees.

Theseus looked up at him, barely-restrained anger in his flame-heart-bright eyes as he drew his hands down to part Zagreus’s folds. He stared at Zag’s center with a weird mixture of contempt and wonder.

“It’s not that different than the phalluses you’ve served elsewhere,” Zagreus said challengingly. Theseus continued to stare as if making a battle plan. “Well, it’s a _little_ different.” He reached down to stroke his cock once, pulling back the hood to show the swollen head. “Surely you can figure this out. Or do you need me to walk you through it?”

“Pah,” Theseus scoffed. “Your basest nature dwells shallowly beneath your surface, as expected.”

After a split second of hesitation, Theseus wet his lips and leaned in, fully planting his mouth over Zagreus’s cock. Zagreus winced; he was eager but sloppy, and not in the good way.

“Less teeth,” Zagreus hissed, winding his fingers into Theseus’s stupid blond hair at the base of his neck and yanking as a warning. The hat jingled merrily. “More lip. Gently.”

Theseus glared up at him but softened his approach, sucking gently on Zagreus’s cock while his fingers massaged his outer lips, rubbing rough over the coarse hair there. Tentatively— and wow, yes, Zagreus was _very_ glad Theseus seemed as concerned about his nails as the rest of his hygiene— Theseus pressed two along the wet seam of him, warm and calloused and rubbing not quite hard enough. Zagreus grunted, shifting slightly in encouragement.

“Don’t rush. I don’t like being hurried,” Zagreus half-complained as Theseus pushed two fingers in, petting him in rough curls of his fingers. He sighed, letting his knees fall open further. Fuck, but Theseus’s mouth was hot, the wet suction absolutely divine. He hadn’t had time to relax like this in ages.

He dared a glance towards the stands: the crowd was getting louder now, shades leaning in their seats to try and get a better view. Those that had stayed seemed invested. He smiled; he’d have to see if he could get them back to their roaring heights.

He moaned low and deep as Theseus continued to suck him off. Shifting his gaze back down at Theseus engrossed in his work, it was hard not to see the equally burning _something_ in Theseus’s shockingly blue eyes.

“Better,” Zagreus tried, feeling that little spike of meanness pulse through his chest once again. “But not quite.” He smirked, the edge of it curled half into a laugh when Theseus’s cheeks, already red, went even darker, his tongue slicked through the outer lips of Zagreus’s folds, sucking just that tad bit harder on the head of his cock. Zagreus watched as beads of sweat began to form on Theseus’s shoulders, dripping down his oiled chest.

 _That was interesting._ Perhaps he should delve into that persona a little bit more.

“What’s that? Does the King of Athens _like_ being treated like a toy?” Zagreus tilted his head, biting his bottom lip and using his fingers in Theseus’s hair to pull him against his groin again, rolling his hips against Theseus’s face. “Prowess in the bathouse...ha…!” Zagreus moaned, toes curling as Theseus sucked harder, milking his cock with firmly pursed lips. “Do you put yourself on display, as much for public use as the baths themselves?”

“Mmm! Ah...” Theseus moaned— and now Zagreus could see his arm moving jerkily, his whole body shaking as Theseus jerked himself off. Well, that _was_ an interesting development.

“Use… the point of your tongue—” Zagreus offered as encouragement. “Just under the heeee- _aad,_ fuck!” He jerked in his seat, one heel slamming into Theseus’s back, shoving him even closer and knocking the stupid hat to the ground. Theseus landed open-mouthed against Zagreus’s whole cunt, the surprised grunt heavenly against the heft of him. Zagreus groaned and squeezed harder, roughly shoving Theseus’s head against him so he could ride his mouth.

“Mghock,” Theseus mumbled around his mouthful. “Ysh?”

“What?” Zagreus asked, panting. He pulled Theseus off him by his fistful of hair.

“Do you want my manhood, _my Prince?”_ Theseus asked. Zagreus narrowed his eyes. He didn’t like that tone, that smug, see-what-I-can-do smile creeping back on his face. “Your dewy flower betrays your need.”

“What’s that?” Zagreus said, tilting his head like he couldn’t quite hear. “You think _I_ want _you?”_ He dropped one foot off the arm of the throne to thrust between Theseus’s thighs; sure enough, just as he’d suspected, Theseus was enjoying this just as much as Zagreus was, his cock bobbing wetly where his hand had been kicked away. Theseus flinched, gasping when Zagreus ran the too-hot girth of his calf against his shaft, no doubt nearly-painful. The seething hatred in Theseus’s eyes was nearly enough to get Zagreus off on its own.

He sneered, yanking harder on Theseus’s hair so he could tilt his head back, displaying his wet chin for the crowd. “Look at your king!” He called to their spectators. “He’d rut against me like an animal if he could.” He bit his lip, getting comfortable in his seat again before returning to his low tone to address Theseus directly. Oh, this was _fun._ He’d have to ask Meg why she didn’t do this _all_ the time. “I don’t think you _deserve_ to wet your cock on my body. Show the people your failure if you must, but don’t think for a second you’ll get to use me for any kind of satisfaction. This is a _punishment_ for being a _loser.”_

The crowd’s noise rose in a cacophony of sound, cheer and the occasional whistle mixed with commentary between members of the audience.

He leaned back in his seat, opening himself again but leaving his leg down to press against Theseus’s groin. Theseus— ye gods, the man _whimpered,_ pressing ever closer just to press his cock against Zagreus’s dangling shin, dropping his head to press against Zagreus’s thigh. His hands reached up again, framing Zagreus’s groin. The former king’s face showed an expression of fury and utmost shame, rolled into one desperate need to _succeed._

It was intoxicating. Zagreus combed his fingers through Theseus’s disarrayed locks before twisting them meanly in his fist again. “To satisfaction, yeah?” He said with a smirk.

All he got was a glare, hungry and hateful, in return.

He moaned as Theseus tentatively slipped two fingers up against him, pressing in wetly, curling like Theseus actually knew what he was doing— and he displayed it in hard thrusts of his hand, pistoning and curling his two fingers hard against the walls of Zagreus’s passage.

Zagreus rocked his hips against Theseus’s mouth once more, hands tangled in his hair as he used Theseus’s face. Pleasure zinged up his spine, each sting like that of a building storm’s first shocks of static striking the ground. Theseus was shockingly good at this with a little direction, and a quick learner at that.

It was doubly hot to feel the hot line of Theseus’s cock drag against his shin, wet and hard and probably nearly painful. The king seemed halfway to humping against him like a wild dog.

“Press your fingers down and squeeze my— fuck, ah—” Zagreus moaned as he shuddered, feeling his cunt pulse around Theseus’s fingers, his cock twitching in the man’s mouth. And still Theseus sucked, fingers making obscene, sloppy sounds as he worked Zagreus through his peak, slick dripping down his arm. Zag took one look down— and there, Theseus’s other hand was working furiously, no doubt taking his own pleasure in short, sharp jerks of his hand.

He yanked Theseus’s head back, standing on wobbly legs to turn Theseus towards the crowd.

Theseus worked himself furiously, his eyes squeezed closed against the lights and the crowd as he arched his back and let out a wounded groan, his body convulsing under Zagreus’s direction into a true showstopper of an orgasm before collapsing in a come-splattered heap, kneeling in the dirt. His hair hung limply around his face— his _face_ , Zagreus realized, which shone with Zagreus’s own come and a heavy sheen of sweat. He looked defeated— more so than Zagreus had ever seen him before, even when literally slain in battle.

A faint satisfaction glowed in his chest at that. Well, that was something to investigate later.

The crowd roared, whether in delight or horror. A few shades seemed eager to reward them as they would under normal circumstances, throwing flowers and treats their way. Theseus, Zagreus noted, ignored them all.

“Good show,” Zagreus offered as a parting remark, letting Theseus’s tangled locks drop from between his fingers. Theseus did not respond, merely swiping at the mess on his face blindly, his eyes still closed as he took in the roar of the crowd.

Zagreus gathered what favors he could and grabbed his belongings— he would redress in the ready room, in relative privacy, and perhaps bathe in the fountain before he moved on. Thinking cheerfully of these pleasures to come, and his legs still wobbling from the pleasures just had, he was surprised to run into Asterius in the ready room.

“My apologies,” Zagreus said sincerely as he started to pull his clothes back on. “I _might’ve_ gotten carried away a bit. I’d assumed you left after things turned, um...” He trailed off, suddenly feeling shy about the spectacle he’d just led and partaken in. He yawned, stretching the kinks out of his back. “He wasn’t bad, though, was he? Probably needs a bit more training. Certainly hasn’t got anything on Than, that’s for sure. You’ve got your work cut out for you.”

Asterius did not make eye contact, but only huffed once through his nose, though his expression softened.

“Wait,” Zagreus said, putting the pieces together. “You haven’t…?”

“Perhaps someday,” Asterius said slowly. “When time is boundless, all things become inevitable.”

“Then I wish you the best of luck,” Zagreus said with a sincere laugh. “I’m sure you’ll need it, with Theseus.”

Thus restored and in excellent spirits, Zagreus left the arena in much better shape than usual, hale and healthy and ready for the challenges to come. He still had a long way to go, and would more likely than not be back in the arena soon enough, but that was a thought for another day or night.

Surely the challenges would only get more interesting from here on out.

**Author's Note:**

> Follow me on Twitter @GoInterrobang for WIPs and notes on what else I'm working on at any given time. :)


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